Rahysa Vargas is the founder and Managing Partner of Vargas Law , where she primarily represents clients in Personal Injury matters and with Commercial and Residential Real Estate needs including negotiations, closings and title. Prior to starting Vargas Law, Rahysa represented insurance carriers and corporate Defendants in Catastrophic Injury cases, Premise Liability cases, cases involving Ride Shares (i.e Uber/Lyft), Negligent Security cases, Property Claims, Class Actions, and Construction Defect cases in litigation. Prior to working on the Defense side, Rahysa worked as an Attorney representing clients in the areas of Personal Injury, Mass Torts, Medical Malpractice claims, Workers’ Compensation claims and Longshore and Harbor Act based claims. It is there where her passion to help others began, however she knew that working on the Defense side for corporate clients would ultimately lead to long term rewards and experience with litigation to ultimately fight for her clients today. Rahysa brings years of litigation experience and knowledge on both sides in order to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. Rahysa is licensed to practice law in the state of Florida and is fluent in Spanish. Rahysa is also the founder of Ms. Esquire, a networking platform for women attorney’s with over 10,000 members that focuses on empowering women in the legal profession and giving back to the community. Ms. Esquire has paired up with organizations who cater to the nation’s homeless youth population and under-privileged families within our local communities. Rahysa has been a Guest speaker at Facebook Summit for founding Ms. Esquire, one of the largest Facebook communities of its kind. In addition, she has been a guest speaker at several different organizations and institutions including Nova Southeastern Law School, BCTLA, Broward Bar, and Miami Dade FAWL. Rahysa has also been invited to speak to the Miami Federal Bureau of investigation, in honor of women history month where she shared her career story. Rahysa is passionate about giving back and serving homeless youth. Annually she teams up with Broward and Miami Dade public schools and organizations to organize drives for homeless teens. Rahysa also serves at her church Vous Church. When she is not volunteering, or advocating for her clients she spends her time with her two boys and husband who are her constant motivation.

At Maranatha Law, personal injury representation isn’t just about legal results. It’s about restoring what’s been taken from you. We serve individuals and families across Florida who are hurting, overwhelmed, and looking for someone who will truly fight for them. Led by founding attorney Tim Shanahan, Maranatha Law combines a unique blend of sharp legal strategy and deep personal compassion. Tim is a husband, father of four, and a servant-leader who approaches every case with a fierce sense of purpose. He understands what it means to carry burdens and is committed to helping clients rise above life’s hardest moments. When you work with us, you’re not just hiring a lawyer. You’re partnering with someone who genuinely cares about your future and will fight for what’s right, no matter the odds. We believe in doing the right thing, even when no one’s watching. Tim Shanahan has trained under some of the country’s most successful personal injury attorneys and has been representing clients across Florida since 2015. A graduate of Stetson University College of Law, Tim brings both deep legal knowledge and a hands-on, client-centered approach to every case. Our firm investigates thoroughly, negotiates fearlessly, and isn’t afraid to go to trial when necessary. Whether your injuries are minor or life-altering, we pursue every avenue for maximum compensation because anything less is a loss. While we’re not the biggest firm in Florida, we take pride in delivering results that rival firms with ten times our budget. Our clients matter to us, and that shows in our work.

Keith Park is a practicing lawyer in the state of Florida. Attorney Park received his J.D. from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law in 1976.

Maria Tejedor graduated from the University of South Florida, Magna Cum Laude, in 1992. In 1993, she commenced law school at Stetson University, the number one ranked law school in trial advocacy. In 1994, she participated in a college-wide competition and was selected by her peers at Stetson to join the law school’s prestigious and exclusive trial team. She spent the following two years representing Stetson College of Law in national and statewide trial competitions. Throughout the years she competed, Stetson College of Law maintained its number one national ranking in trial advocacy. In 1995, Maria Tejedor was the first-place winner of the American Criminal Defense Bar National Trial Competition . Ms. Tejedor secured second place in both the Florida Bar’s State Trial Competition and the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers State Competition. She was the 1996 Regional Champion in the American Bar Association National Trial Competition and was awarded the American College of Trial Lawyers Medal for Excellence in Trial Advocacy. In 1996, upon graduation, Stetson University College of Law presented her with the Harris Ferrell Competition Award for Individual Excellence in Intercollegiate Trial Competition. In 1996, she joined the law firm of Martinez, Manglardi and Diez-Arguelles. In 2004, she became one of the youngest women to be board certified in the state of Florida. That same year she was named a full partner at the law firm and the name was changed to Martinez, Manglardi, Diez-Arguelles & Tejedor. In 2009, fueled by a passion for helping women and children, she founded the law firm of Diez-Arguelles & Tejedor and became its managing partner. That passion and focus have led to her numerous successful statewide appellate and Supreme Court decisions, which have established laws that protect the rights of the most vulnerable. Those include: The Supreme Court of Florida affirmed a $2,000,000.00 verdict for the parents of a baby boy who died due to the negligence of a hospital. Pub. Health Tr. of Miami-Dade Cty. v. Acanda, 71 So. 3d 782, 783 (Fla. 2011). The appellate court held that a negligent healthcare provider could not get a vulnerable patient to sign away their right to bring a lawsuit in the event of malpractice. Crespo v. Hernandez, 151 So. 3d 495, 496 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2014), approved, 211 So. 3d 19 (Fla. 2016). The appellate court ruled the victim of medical malpractice had a right to their day in court. The courts had to provide one upon request. Garcia v. Lincare Inc., 906 So. 2d 1268, 1269 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2005). The court held that a child who has suffered brain damage due the negligence of her hospital has a right to sue that hospital and that a law imposing a three-year limitation on such a right was not applicable. Exposito v. Pub. Health Tr. of Miami-Dade Cty., et al., 141 So. 3d 663, 664 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2014). Reversing a lower court’s dismissal of brain-injured infants’ claim against a negligent hospital and proceeding to trial later resulting a several million dollar jury verdict in favor of the injured child. Mobley v. Homestead Hospital, 291 So. 3d 987 (Fla. 3 Dist., 2019) Reversed lower court’s order dismissing an injured child’s medical negligence claim based on the statute of limitations. The appellate court determined the statute of repose had not expired and allowed the case to proceed to recovery. Reyes v. Baptist Hospital et. al., 360 So. 3rd 438 (Fla. 3 Dist., 2023) Reversing a lower court’s dismissal of a brain-damaged minor child’s claim based on the statute of limitations. The appellate court ruled in favor of the injured child and allowed the claim of the child to proceed to trial. Over her career she has successfully tried numerous medical malpractice cases throughout the nation recovering over $500 million in awards for injured families. She has been awarded record verdicts in medical negligence cases, many of which are the highest ever recovered by a woman trial lawyer in her state. In the state of Florida, she has successfully tried cases in almost every county, including Dade, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Hillsborough, Clay, Polk, Leon, Broward, and Alachua. She has also been admitted to practice and has litigated cases to success on a national level. She was awarded a judgment over $64 million in a medical negligence case, making that judgment, the largest judgment entered by a jury to a single plaintiff in a medical negligence case in Orange County history. She was also awarded over $40 million dollars by a jury in a brain damage in fact case, also reflecting a record verdict for an injured child in the state of Florida. Her jury awards in medical negligence death cases have also been record-setting. In 2019, she obtained an $18 million award for the death of mothers during a delivery and 2012 an $11,600,000.00 verdict in Volusia County, which is the highest medical malpractice wrongful death verdict in the county’s history. She was elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Florida Justice Association. During that time, she successfully testified before Congress and passed legislation to protect the rights of the women and children injured from malpractice. In 2011, after much success before the Florida Senate, she was appointed to the governing body of the Florida Justice Association. Ms. Tejedor focuses on medical malpractice cases, including injuries to children, as well as mass torts and dangerous drugs. She is a member of the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum. She has served as Treasurer of the Hispanic Bar Association. In 2009, she was appointed to the Orange County Grievance Ethics Committee and served as its chairperson in 2011. She is also a frequent speaker on medical malpractice. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Florida Justice Association, and in 2011 was appointed to their Executive Committee. Board certification recognizes Ms. Tejedor as a specialist in personal injury trial work. Board certification is an achievement acquired by less than 3% of all lawyers in the state of Florida. She is also recognized as an AV rated lawyer, which means she has been recognized by her peers as having reached the highest levels of professional excellence, skill, and integrity a lawyer can achieve.

Antonino Hernandez is a practicing lawyer in the state of Florida. Mr. Hernandez received his J.D. from the Boston University School of Law in 1997.

An avid traveler and former NCAA football scholarship athlete, Shawn Hairston came to Miami to launch his legal career and experience everything the city had to offer—from its dynamic legal scene to its legendary beach clubs. As a former defense attorney, he brings firsthand knowledge from working at the very firms he now has a passion for defeating. His experience on both sides of the courtroom gives him the strategic edge to take on corporations, insurance companies, and powerful institutions, ensuring his clients receive the justice and compensation they deserve. In addition to leading the firm’s Miami practice, Shawn manages the Washington, D.C. office, leveraging his experience on Capitol Hill to navigate complex legal and policy issues. When the big players try to push you around, you need an attorney who knows how to push back—harder.

J. Hays Mathis is the Managing Partner of the firm’s Destin office. He focuses his practice on car accident cases and catastrophic injury litigation. Mr. Mathis has litigated cases from inception through trial verdict, providing dedicated and results-driven representation for his clients. Hays is admitted to all Florida State Courts, the Federal District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the Federal Northern District of Florida, and the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

R. Evan Bassett has joined Neri Law Group as Of Counsel to the firm and has been licensed to practice law in Florida for over 20 years. R. Evan Bassett is a fifth generation Floridian, who graduated from Berkeley Preparatory School and obtained his undergraduate degree from Furman University, where he majored in Spanish and speaks Spanish fluently. Mr. Bassett ultimately moved on to obtain his Juris Doctorate Degree from Cumberland School of Law. Mr. Bassett began his career as an Assistant State Attorney, where he spent three years before transitioning to a career in Plaintiff’s work. Evan is also on the executive committee for the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He is a board certified Civil Trail Lawyer and concentrates his practice solely on advocating for people injured in accidents. His practice areas include cases involving automobile and motorcycle crashes, slip and falls, and nursing home negligence. Mr. Bassett’s recent jury verdicts include a Pinellas County motor vehicle accident verdict of $950,000, a Hillsborough County motor vehicle accident verdict involving a DUI driver for $475,000 compensatory and $100,000 in punitive damages, and a Sarasota County motor vehicle accident verdict for $400,000. R. Evan Bassett is a welcome addition to the Neri Law Group team.

Jason K.S. Porter, Esquire, has earned an excellent reputation among clients and peers for his legal skills and dedication to his clients. He has been awarded a 10.0 Superb Avvo Rating in both personal injury and criminal defense. His high-quality professional service has been recognized by his peers with a Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent® Rating. These awards are testimony to his personal standard of excellence in the legal field. He has many devoted and grateful clients. Mr. Porter graduated cum laude from the Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in both political science and Spanish. Before graduation, he was inducted into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa fraternity for academic achievement and the nationally recognized Omicron Delta Kappa fraternity for leadership. He earned his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. After law school, Mr. Porter moved to Jacksonville, where he accepted a position as Assistant State Attorney, prosecuting cases in Duval, Clay, and Nassau counties. As a prosecuting trial lawyer, he handled a wide range of cases, from misdemeanor DUI cases to the felony crime of murder. In his current private practice, Mr. Porter’s experience as a prosecutor gives us an edge for the benefit of our clients.

Ms. Hernandez specializes in first party property damage cases. Ms. Proano Hernandez attended the University of Florida from 1999 until 2003 when she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. During her time at UF, she was a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. She then attended law school at Florida Coastal School of Law and graduated in 2010 with her Juris Doctorate degree. She was admitted to practice law in 2011 and has been practicing solely in insurance law since then. Ms. Hernandez provides boutique legal services as she communicates with her clients on a personal level and and always gives her clients the attention that they need and deserve. Ms. Hernandez understands how sensitive and urgent these matters are to her clients and has successfully implemented strategies to get claims resolved and paid as fast as possible. Ms. Hernandez was selected to be on the Rising Stars list for several years and continues to be nominated for Rising Stars as well as other accolades, acknowledging her expertise in the insurance property damage field of law. This peer designation is awarded to no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in each state. Ms. Proano Hernandez likes to be active outdoors and loves to be with her family and dog in her spare time. She is fluent in Spanish.